Taking a break from the metal to visit Lisbon. It's hotter than the surface of the sun, but the beer is cold and the craic is good
The Killchain Blog
@thekillchainblog.bsky.social
Metal blog dedicated to the riff. Supporting the underground. Donations to http://ko-fi.com/killchainblog would be appreciated Cynically resigned, annihilate Mankind
2026 Anniversary Series 086: Katatonia - Brave Murder Day #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/09/16/2...
2026 Anniversary Series 086: Katatonia – Brave Murder Day
Scribed by Sandre the Giant Released: 1st August 1996 Swedish kings of misery and gloom Katatonia started off back in 1993 a bit more death metal focused with ‘Dance of December Souls’,…
thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com
2026 Anniversary Series 085: Tankard - Zombie Attack #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/09/15/2...
2026 Anniversary Series 085: Tankard – Zombie Attack
Scribed by Sandre the Giant Released: July 1986 Continuing with our thesis that 1986 was the key year for thrash records, we have another instalment of ‘Albums I Found on that Teutonic Thrash…
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Review: Meresin - Anthems of Hatred #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/09/15/r...
Review: Meresin – Anthems of Hatred
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 1st May 2026 The second record from Poland’s Meresin promises to be a big step up from their 2021 debut ‘Black Messiah’, taking that albumR…
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2026 Anniversary Series 084: Cryptic Slaughter - Convicted #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/09/13/2...
2026 Anniversary Series 084: Cryptic Slaughter – Convicted
Scribed by Sandre the Giant Released: 26th July 1986 Crossover thrash was a genre that, much like hardcore in general, I came to much later in life than I should have and I have spent less time wit…
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Today I learned that a myriad means ten thousand in old Biblical terms. I have been using that word to describe much less than that
2026 Anniversary Series 083: Voivod - Katorz #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/09/11/2...
2026 Anniversary Series 083: Voivod – Katorz
Scribed by Sandre the Giant Released: 25th July 2006 Metal albums have proven, time and time again, that magic can rise from the ashes of tragedy and so it was in 2006 with Canadian technical thras…
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Review: Saidan - Fangdriller: Scars Beneath Memory's Wrist #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/09/11/r...
Review: Saidan – Fangdriller: Scars Beneath Memory’s Wrist
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 19th June 2026 If you wanted me to guess where Japan-inspired horror black metal duo Saidan were from, I’d have guessed a thousand places before Nashville…
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2026 Anniversary Series 082: Nevermore - The Politics of Ecstasy #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/09/09/2...
2026 Anniversary Series 082: Nevermore – The Politics of Ecstasy
Scribed by Sandre the Giant Released: 13th July 1996 Who sounds like Nevermore then? Even today, Seattle’s power prog titans have few imitators and for good reason; born of power metal legend…
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In respect of recent events, I'm adding some long missed records to the archive. First this, more to come
Review: Vorax - Volcano Shock #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/09/08/r...
Review: Vorax – Volcano Shock
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 26th June 2026 I’m not going to lie here, if I come across a death metal record about dinosaurs, you’ve peaked my fucking interest immediately. Swis…
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For the longest time I didn't listen to 'No More Tear's because I didn't like 'Mama I'm Coming Home' all that much. Since Ozzy died I've softened on that song a lot, and have now come to regard NMT as one of the best Ozzy solo records. Holy shit it is so good
Review: Sunswarm - Those Who Do Not Build Must Burn #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/09/04/r...
Review: Sunswarm – Those Who Do Not Build Must Burn
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 22nd July 2026 The debut record from Southampton’s industrial newcomers Sunswarm is called ‘Those Who Do Not Build Must Burn’, and it is out n…
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2026 Anniversary Series 081: Strapping Young Lad - The New Black #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/09/03/2...
2026 Anniversary Series 081: Strapping Young Lad – The New Black
Scribed by Sandre the Giant Released: 11th July 2006 2006 was such a strange year for fans of Strapping Young Lad. Seeing them come off the incredible ‘Alien’ record and seeing them rea…
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Review: Godthrymm - Projections @thesleepingshaman.bsky.social #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/09/02/r...
Review: Godthrymm – Projections
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 29th May 2026 Originally published: I’m not quite ready to induct Godthrymm fully into the Yorkshire Doom Hall of Fame (which is not a thing, but really s…
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2026 Anniversary Series 080: Flotsam and Jetsam - Doomsday for the Deceiver #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/09/02/2...
2026 Anniversary Series 080: Flotsam and Jetsam – Doomsday for the Deceiver
Scribed by Sandre the Giant Released: 4th July 1986 In a landmark year for thrash, some would say THE year for thrash as a genre, it would seem that even the less famous bands were putting out thei…
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Review: Sallow Moth - Hydrophilous Brood @gonemage.bsky.social #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/08/31/s...
Review: Sallow Moth – Hydrophilous Brood
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 24th July 2026 Progressive death metallers Sallow Moth have created a fascinating science fiction world for their twisted and dissonant death metal over the pas…
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2026 Anniversary Series 079: Cryptopsy - None So Vile #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/08/31/2...
2026 Anniversary Series 079: Cryptopsy – None So Vile
Scribed by Sandre the Giant Released: 3rd July 1996 1996 would be a bit of a final swansong for death metal’s most successive early period, but it did not go out with a whimper and instead wo…
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I cannot put into words, really despite the times I've tried, to express just how important this band are to my entire musical fandom. This record is the zenith of that importance, opening with probably my favourite song ever and then taking you on a rollercoaster of rock and drone perfection.
So since the last time I was here, not only did old Dolly Parton cop her whack, we've lost Tim Curry and fucking Optimus Prime?! Who the fuck is next?
Equally at home writing metal reviews or unnecessarily long soliloguys about why the Sonic Generations versions of the Chemical Plant Zone theme may be the best pieces of Sonic music ever put out there
One of the fastest, most violent and savage hardcore records you'll ever heard, a complete Nuclear Cult discography. We all need albums called this in our lives
2026 Anniversary Series 078: Sikth - Death of a Dead Day #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/08/16/2...
2026 Anniversary Series 078: Sikth – Death of a Dead Day
Scribed by Sandre the Giant Released: 26th June 2006 One of the UK underground’s most missed bands and a creative juggernaut at their peak, hardcore London maniacs Sikth are a band you’…
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Now into day four of me and my mates not discussing the details of our upcoming Portugal trip but instead endlessly debating just how to rank all the Iron Maiden albums. I've known these boys for over 25 years, and we've never been this in depth about ANYTHING!
The Killchain does not listen to Dolly Parton, but the Killchain respects the fuck out of who she was as a person and what she stood for. A real class act, and may ravens guide your way
Review: Thaetas - The Irredeemable Age #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/08/24/r...
Review: Thætas – The Irredeemable Age
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 26th June 2026 I missed the well regarded ‘Shrines of Absurdity’ debut from New York death metal titans Thætas back in 2020 because, well, the world…
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Review: Drowning Hour - The Pain of Loss #metalsky thoseonceloyal.wordpress.com/2026/08/24/r...
Review: Drowning Hour – The Pain of Loss
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 18th August 2026 The second EP from Shrewsbury-based death/doom band Drowning Hour, ‘The Pain of Loss’, is definitely channelling some Opeth ‘…
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